Unfolding in a series of eight mythic vignettes, this late work by Akira Kurosawa was inspired by the beloved director’s own nighttime visions, along with stories from Japanese folklore. In a visually sumptuous journey through the master’s imagination, tales of childlike wonder give way to apocalyptic apparitions: a young boy stumbles on a fox wedding in a forest; a soldier confronts the ghosts of the war dead; a power plant meltdown smothers a seaside landscape in radioactive fumes. Interspersed with reflections on the redemptive power of creation, including a richly textured tribute to Vincent van Gogh (who is played by Martin Scorsese), Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams is both a showcase for its maker’s artistry at its most unbridled and a deeply personal lament for a world at the mercy of human ignorance.
Written and Directed by Akira Kurosawa
Executive Producer: Steven Spielberg
Creative Consultant: Ishiro Honda
Cinematography by Takao Saito & Shoji Ueda
Music by Shinichiro Ikebe
Editing by Tome Minami
Production design by Yoshiro Muraki & Akira Sakuragi
Costume design by Emi Wada
Starring Akira Terao, Mitsuko Baisho, Mieko Harada, Toshie Negishi, Mitsunori Isaki, Toshihiko Nakano, Yoshitaka Zushi, Hisashi Igawa, Chosuke Ikariya, Chishu Ryu, Martin Scorsese, Kiku-no Kai Dancers, Misato Tate, Mieko Suzuki, Masayuki Yui, Shu Nakajima, Sakae Kimura, Tessho Yamashita and Members of the 20-ki No Kai